We Are Not Separate

I am struggling this morning. As I logged onto my Facebook page and read some of my friends updates, I felt a great division because of the political fighting which is currently raging in America. I have an eclectic collection of friends--very liberal to very conservative and everything in between. The funny thing is, they are all sure their way is best. There is a right and a wrong in their minds. I have to confess I am not totally immune to this way of thinking. The thing is, I should know better. In my quest for connection with Source, I have been able to experience His limitless nature. I know we are not separate from anything.

The Limitless is so hard to put into words, but I will try. Picture enless space. The essence--the energy--that is you fills this space and continues on eternally. The essence that is me fills this space. The essence of every song, every emotion, every blade of grass also fills this space. You know this because as you experience the unlimited you can also sense the presence of each individual thing. It's a mind-blowing concept when what you understand within this human existance is the limits of time and space.

The thing is, when you experience eternity, you truly begin to understand we are all One. The illusion of this lifetime is that we are separate from one another. We are not. When you fight with another, all you are really doing is fighting against yourself. This is the source of all our problems on earth. This is why every action you take here eventually returns to you. When you allow yourself to let things exist without resistence you are truly living the reality of Oneness.

Take the time to sit back and relax in your body in this present moment. See yourself in the first person with all your senses intact. Focus inside yourself to the place of your heart, where your soul lives. Sense your very soul and see its light. As you become aware of who you are, allow it to expand in all directions and connect with the Oneness. You do not need to think. Relax. It is important to feel and sense. Allow yourself to rest in this place. Take a little time to do this every day and you will become One. Let this Mind be in you.

As we begin to understand the Oneness, we will begin to see real solutions to the problems we face every day. Oneness brings health, wholeness and understanding. Throw away the illusion. We are not separate. We are One.

The Presence of Money

I was one of those people who grew up learning thoughts that hinder the flow of money. "Money doesn't grow on trees" and "rich people get ahead by stepping on the little guy" were mantras I unconsciously embraced as fact. Consequently, my life hasn't exactly flowed with money. I have worked on getting rid of these ideas for years, using techniques like EFT (The EFT Manual (EFT: Emotional Freedom Techniques))and Wayne Dyer's Excuses Begone (Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits ). I have had great success using many of these ideas. Still, the effects of these beliefs have lingered and I often ask the question "What am I still clinging to that separates me from money?" Ironically, my answer lies in that specific question.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a spiritual retreat. I was looking forward to it because I have met with this group of people before and I know them to be open vessels who crave the presence of Source in their lives. Because of this, they carry a very precious energy which I enjoy tapping into. This past weekend was no exception.

We walked into the opening service a little late, so a powerful spiritual energy hit me as I entered the room. As I sat there and allowed myself to experience this Source energy, I felt the "oneness" of everything. Everything existed in this space--from each individual on earth to their feelings to every animal and each blade of grass. I felt the connection and interconnections of all these things. As I gave myself permission to rest in this space, I was able to isolate individual items within it. The first one I was able to feel was the presence of money. Its presence was benign. It was not flashy or extravagant. It was not evil. It just existed with no pretense or presumption. This is when I understood. Money, like everything else, is a part of me. I am not separate from it. This knowledge gave me a peace about money I have never experienced before.

I continue to rest in this flow of energy where money and everything else exists, whenever I get the chance. As I get used to being in this space, it begins to be part of both my conscious mind and my subconscious one. Essentially, it all gets back to "oneness". I now know I am not separate from anything, including money. It is a part of me just as love and joy are a part of me. The money is always present, and now I know it.

Raise Your Vibration Now!

It's one thing to think about improving yourself and another to actually do it. It has occurred to me that I have given the thought behind many law of attraction techniques and strategies but not many practical applications. Consequently, it is my intention to let you in on some of my personal strategies in the hope they will benefit your life!

Strategy #1: Tap into the energies around you or those you have already experienced! The most concrete example I can come up with comes in the rescue of the Chilean mine workers just a few days ago. I found it very hard to pull myself away from the coverage to do more mundane things (like cook). I have heard a number of comments from friends and family that it was the same for them. Why? The answer lies in the worldwide caring and support for those trapped men. The energy from their rescue was so high and so strong it was impossible for those seeking that energy to turn away from! The bottom line is, when you find yourself in such a strong energy vibe, you need to allow yourself to go with it. Allow the experience to feed and energize you! You can do the same with any good experience or memory. Bring into mind all those times you felt love, joy, peace, forgiveness. Let yourself live in those memories! You will soon find yourself in a better place.

Strategy #2: Get creative and participate in those activities that bring your joy and satisfaction! This can be anything--singing, skydiving, problem-solving or even sex! (Yes! I said sex!) The point is, when you do something that makes you happy it raises your vibration. It also has the added bonus of putting you in your body, where you are your most powerful.

Strategy #3: Meditate, taking time to get into your heart space. Relax, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Focus a few moments on your breathing--breathing in the positive and expelling the negative. When you are very relaxed, focus your mind on that space just behind and a little below your heart--the dwelling place of your spirit. Sense your spirit. Recognize it for the light it is. Allow your mind to just relax and not think about anything in particular. Rest in this space. Get to know it. It is your connection to Source energy. It has the power to heal you and change your life. Spend about 10 minutes a day doing this. You will be amazed by how great you feel!

The bottom line is, your energy level is your responsibility! No one else has the power to change it. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do because if you aren't feeling good you do not have the strength the accomplish your mission in life. Become the solution to the world's problems. Raise your vibration now!

The Change Within

I'm always looking for answers on how to improve my life. One of the best things I have done for myself is to become a member of the Masterworks Healing membership site (http://www.masterworkshealing.com/), which is run by healer and entrepenuer Jennifer McLean. The perspectives I've gained from listening to the work of Jennifer and the other contributors on the site have raised my energy frequency to a whole new level. Gone are my days of wallowing in depression. My outlook has changed so much in positive ways I feel like a new person.

The most profound shift to hit recently was my understanding of how the mind differs from the heart. The mind is associated mainly with the teachings we have learned from being in the world. It is designed for protection and can be full of biases and prejudices which separate us from our fellow humans. The heart, on the other hand, is what connects us to the whole of humanity and the Universe. It's reach is limitless, and it is filled with the knowledge of all truth. The world is full of people (myself included) who make decisions based on the mind instead of the heart. It's no wonder that Jesus challenged his followers to "become like little children". Children have not had time to learn the lessons of the world and as such live naturally from their hearts! Our lives here on earth are not about separation but about connection.

The world has become a challenging place lately, but when I look at it now it does not concern me as much as it used to. I have become committed to learning what it means to live from my heart. As I go down this path, I have discovered many others who are also coming to this new understanding. Yes, circumstances in the world are getting more challenging. They will probably become more so as people continue to live from their minds and not their hearts. The good news is, everybody has a breaking point. When it gets stressful enough, people are willing to make the changes they need to impact the world in more positive ways. This is where growth comes from!

As I continue on down this path of the heart, I am comforted by the knowledge that everything, both good and bad, truly does work toward the good. Positive change is coming--a whole paradigm shift from mind to heart. It is this change within that will change the world.

Universal Connection

As I write this, I am still riding high on the wave of emotion surrounding the rescue of the Chilean miners from the depths of the earth. The anticipation--the expectation--were palpable as each individual miner was brought up. My body was inundated by thankfulness each time a person came to the surface to be united with their loved ones. As I thought about the extraordinary cooperation it took to bring those men back to the surface, I realized just how connected we truly are. Only the Divine can change hearts enough to let the results come off without a hitch. Some of the miners were even able to articulate it as they talked about the presence of God during the crisis.

Maybe I'm an eternal optimist, but I really believe this feeling is meant to be a constant as opposed to a fleeting moment. Many religions teach such a concept. In eastern traditions, it is called nirvana. Christianity calls it the kingdom of God on earth. Whatever semantics you use, it can happen. The incident in Chile gives us a glimpse of the possibilities!

It's really a bit of a circle. When people love and are concerned about their fellow man, they will do everything in their power to help. When people help and that help is responded to, love flows to their fellow man and back again. That is the power of love. That is the universal connection that flows in and through all things. That is our Divine connection.  Love is the path--the path to perfection. May we be blessed as we strive to stay on the path and increase that connection.

The Joy of Falling

One of the greatest fears in my life is the fear of falling. The fear has been here ever since I can remember--from the time I was quite small. My earliest memory of this fear revolves around the day my older sister literally dragged me to school because I was too afraid to walk on the icy hills that surrounded my Ohio home. I was five. I've never been terribly interested in activities like skiing or skating because of this fear. As an adult, I don't dwell on the fear, but the fear is there--just under the surface.

Yesterday as I walked beside a swiftly moving creek, I had a glimpse into something I had never noticed before. I am a very auditory person, so I like listening to the sound of water as it flows by. What I noticed was this: in those places where the water is level, there is next to no sound. It is only in those places where the elevation changes--where the water falls--that the sound of running water occurs. The joy and peace of that sound occurs only in the process of falling!

Falling is a scary proposition. You are never sure exactly what will happen when you fall. You could get lucky and land in a soft snowbank, or you might get dashed on the rocks below. Still, as in everything, there can be joy in the process. The water knows this as it tumbles down the rocks. It soothes with its song. There is joy in everything, if we only take the time to listen and appreciate the beauty we find along the way.

The Importance of Passion

The term "finding your passion" is one of the catchphrases which figures prominently in law of attraction circles. Empowerment coaches such as Janet and Chris Attwood (The Passion Test: The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose) and Chris Widener (The Angel Inside: Michelangelo's Secrets for Following Your Passion and Finding the Work You Love) have explained in great detail the concept of finding your passion in order to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. Indeed, it is everyone's dream to live such joy and passion every day. Still, what is it about passion that makes it important? Why is passion necessary to attract the life of your dreams? The answer lies in passion's ability to help you be present in your body and live from your heart.

Reflect on those times in your life when you have felt the most passionate. Maybe it was when you allowed yourself to be creative and painted a masterpiece, or maybe it had to do with your elation at being able to solve a complex problem in your job. Regardless, ask yourself a few key questions. How did it feel? Did it make me want to continue doing it? Where was my attention--my focus? Did I want to be doing anything else, be anywhere else?

My guess is (based on my own personal experience) that you felt alive and empowered. The joy it brought to you made you want to take those actions again and again. You did not want to be anywhere else in the world except where you were. In those moments of passion, you were totally present--fully focused in your body. Your mind and heart were engaged. You were in a place of power! At that precise moment, you were truly a creator of your universe.

Following your passion is important because doing so enables you to become your highest self. It is the place of flow and abundance and empowerment. When you let passion be your guide, your life magically falls into place. Don't underestimate passion. It has the power to transform your life.